It’s one week before election day, and it is time to reveal my endorsements for the various offices. I know that no one really gives a flying fig about what I think, and my thought will have no bearing on the outcome, but for posterity’s sake, here are my opinions.
For every Nowata County office, I am supporting the Republican, and given that I am a registered Democrat, that speaks volumes. Here is why — the Democrats have run this county for decades, and yet the county keeps sliding further and further into the abyss of irrelevance. I have heard zero, zero, fresh ideas from the Democrats, who seem to be in it for themselves rather than for the people. It’s time for them to go.
State House — I was disappointed in Steve Martin for voting for the $30 million “gift” from the state to the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s bad for the state, it’s bad for the district. While Steve explained why he voted for it, and I understand why he did, and completely agree with his logic, I am still not happy about it on principle. Enough said. Both Steve and Eric Epperson are likeable enough. Both have a “share-the-wealth” plan to bring more sales tax revenue to economically distressed rural cities and counties. Steve’s plan is to set aside one percent of sales tax revenue, pool it, and distribute it based on population. Eric’s plan is to have your sales tax follow you wherever you go, and when you make a purchase in another city, you give your home zip code information and that sales tax follows you home. Both plans are socialistic in that they reward the laziness of those governments that won’t work hard to attract new business and penalize those that do, but the breadth and scope of Eric’s plan is Obama-esque in its “share the wealth” mantra. Why should industrious cities like Bartlesville or Owasso that spent a great deal of time, effort, and taxpayer dollars have the rewards of those efforts, sales tax revenue, be penalized because cities like Nowata do not want to make the commitment to bring businesses to their cities? Bartlesville spent a lot of its taxpayer dollars bringing in Wal-Mart, Lowes, the mall, etc., to become a regional shopping hub. Why should it be robbed because Nowata didn’t? If Nowata doesn’t want to see it’s dollars go elsewhere, it needs to get off its duff and become a business friendly city and attract its own businesses. If it doesn’t have enough money to fund its municipal operations, then perhaps it should disincorporate and not be a city anymore. Epperson’s plan is not only wrong, it is impractical and downright nosy, requiring shoppers to divulge personal information to ensure that the sales tax can find its way home. Since I am not a socialist, I cannot support a candidate who advocates socialism.
On to the federal level—
Dan Boren seems to be doing a good job. John Sullivan isn’t the best, but once again, the Democrats are running a very bad candidate. While I don’t particularly care for Jim Inhofe, he is better than the alternative, Andrew Rice.
Last but not least, here’s hoping that the polls are wrong, and that John McCain is elected the 44th President of the United States. Heaven help us if we are saddled with four years of Obama socialism.
